Re: Watching GoldFinch Flocks In The Garden

I had my first ever goldfinch in my garden this week. Pictured on a nyger seed feeder

Wow - brilliant photo Alan. Lovely and sharp. The "first" always generates its own excitement, don't you find? I was quite ecstatic over my first house sparrow visitor, simply because it was the first time I had seen one in many years (well over a decade and more like two decades).

Great addition to your garden species Alan, thanks for sharing the photo.

If anyone was wondering how to sex the birds! the below diagram's are just some of the methods used.

Buzzard

Thanks Buzzard.  Crumbs!  That doesn't look very easy!

Lol! Never thought I'd be studying the nasal hairs of goldfinches I've photographed! I'm lucky to have a year round flock of up to 30 sometimes! They are so noisy when the fledglings are down! Beautiful birds!!

Hi SB & MarJus,

It is fascinating and rather difficult at the same time.

With regards to sexing the birds using the nasal hairs, unless you have an extremely good close up picture of the head.

The nasal hair identification method is something you wouldn't be able to do using your bins / scope. 

Buzzard

Oh how I wish I could attract even one goldfinch to my garden. I'm very envious. My nyjer feeder is totally ignored and I end up wasting it all, but I keep going, just in case. On the other hand, I have 30 to 40 house sparrows to keep me amused all day. They were born in the vicinity of my garden earlier this year and I have been thrilled to watch them develop from fluffy fat things to beautifully marked fat things!

Hi Sparrow,

please persevere with your nyjer feeder. When the weather turns and there is a lack of natural food, hopefully the finches will be driven to your feeders.

It has taken me several years to attract the species I get, this year was the first year I had Garden Warblers!

Once the birds know that there is a food source they will come! 

If you have any trees with good branches to hang feeders, try hanging the nyjer there!

I found that the finches preferred the security of the tree to start with, I then moved the feeders to different parts of the garden. ( much to the amusement of the birds)

There is no need to waste the nyjer, if you can source a supply of beef lard or dripping (local butcher) make your own suet cakes or coconut treats adding the nyjer seed.

You can also use pine cones covered in suet/seed mix or fill yoghurt pots with the same mixture, and hang them from branches!

Buzzard

Hi Buzzard,

You always come up trumps with your advice and suggestions, but which part of the country do you live in? The weather has already turned here!

I will persevere with the nyjer feeder, which at present hangs alone from the guttering of my shed roof.  Tomorrow I will try it under a "tree", which isn't so much a tree as a dreaded leylandii hedge with an ornamental garden lampost covered in honeysuckle right next to it. At present I have a globe shaped feeder and a mesh tray hanging from the arms of the lampost for my sparrows, who have the monopoly of this hedge the whole of the day. There is room for the nyjer feeder, but not so sure my thuggish sparrows will accept any neighbours, although they do share with my stray starlings. I also have a large table for the bigger birds and another station with a variety of food and feeders for anyone who fancies it.

I do make my own seed and lard mix but hadn't thought of adding the nyjer seed, nor of using pine cones or yoghurt pots. Thanks for those ideas.

Linda

Hi Sparrow,

Belated welcome from me!

I'm like you I don't get Goldfinches either on a regular basis only as they pass through - I do wonder where they go.  I have niger seed and everything else that they should like but they obviously don't like the company I keep!  I do get lots of collard doves that tend to swamp near or on the feedrs so perhaps there are too many for the Goldfinches to accept although the other smaller birds in my garden don't seem to mind the doves.

Hi Kezmo,

I have several regular jackdaws who may be a deterrent for the goldfinches as they arrive together in their pairs and call very loudly, shreaking at the rival pairs, but they don't bother the sparrows at all. The sparrows simply move off the feeders and queue up on the fence waiting their turn. I do have a pair of collared doves who are quite shy and only use the feeders when they are vacant.

I guess we will have to be patient. Everyone tells us they will come when the cold weather comes and if the conditions are right.